Chapter 588: 588: Really Conflicting

Chapter 588: Chapter 588: Really Conflicting

(Chapter Four)

It is said that the spectator sees the chess game better than the player.

Ling Ruonan’s greatest hope was for Luo Ziling to gain the recognition and acceptance of the elders of the Ling Family. So, when they began to regard Luo Ziling with new respect, and didn’t even get angry when Luo Ziling openly defied them, she thought that Luo Ziling’s outstanding abilities had won their approval. Plus, she believed that their sense of guilt made them want to make amends, which made her heart leap with joy.

She had hardly considered the implications of Luo Ziling’s words until she heard them.

On reflection, especially considering what had happened before the conflict, Ling Ruonan became even more convinced of what Luo Ziling had said.

It was very likely the genuine thoughts of Ling Jinhua and Ling Mingrui.

They wanted to use Luo Ziling like a catfish introduced into a carp pond, to stimulate the descendants of the Ling Family who were fighting amongst themselves, to unite them against common external enemies. Or perhaps to use Luo Ziling as a whetstone for the Ling Family members.

Yes, Luo Ziling was the enemy of the Ling Family, someone the descendants of the Ling Family needed to unite against. Even she, as a daughter of the Ling Family, had been tied to Luo Ziling’s chariot by the two old masters and made a target for the descendants to fight against.

Add her to Luo Ziling, and the combined weight was significant enough to require many members of the Ling Family to unite against them.

Thinking of this, Ling Ruonan was filled with sadness and indignation.

“Mom, actually when I spoke about Grandpa with Great Grandfather, the accusatory words just slipped out, and I regretted them after speaking. As a junior, I shouldn’t have spoken to him in such a manner. But unexpectedly, he wasn’t annoyed and accepted my criticism with a smile. At that moment, I felt something unusual, though I assumed it was Great Grandfather’s magnanimity, unwilling to hold a grudge against a younger person like me. And you were there criticizing me at that time, so I couldn’t make any judgment,” said Luo Ziling, still with a bitter smile on his face.

“At that time, Mom definitely had to chastise you, otherwise it would have seemed disrespectful,” Ling Ruonan admitted with a slight sense of regret, “I hope you don’t hold it against me for my attitude back then.”

“I know you were looking out for me, Mom. How could I hold it against you?” Luo Ziling smiled, “After speaking a few more words out of frustration with Great Grandfather, I began to wonder why he was behaving like that. Later, when I spoke of a similar matter with Dad, although he seemed like he wanted to get angry, he eventually held it back. The two old men had one thing in common—they wanted to know what I wanted, what compensation I needed. I thought that if I made demands, they would surely comply. This thought made me feel even more uneasy. There must be a purpose behind their actions.”

After taking a deep breath, Luo Ziling continued, “If they really cared about me that much and were willing to meet my demands, before I came back to Yanjing, they would have definitely agreed to let you send someone to fetch me, instead of you sneaking me back. And after you brought me back, you didn’t dare to meet me, because they forbade it. They used to be like that, but this time they are so kind to me, of course I find it abnormal. Okay, I must admit I had some thoughts of venting my personal grievances.”

Luo Ziling’s words greatly astonished Ling Ruonan, and she looked at him in disbelief.

She couldn’t believe her son could be so insightful, to detect abnormalities from these incidents, while she, his mother, had failed to notice them. She had always prided herself on her exceptional abilities and strategies. It was humbling to realize that in some matters, she was no match for her inexperienced son.

After a moment of silence, Ling Ruonan whispered another question, “Is it because you thought of these things that you acted impulsively later, fighting with the descendants of the Ling Family?”

“I did want to find an opportunity to test the waters and see what their tolerance limit for me was,” Luo Ziling smiled sheepishly at Ling Ruonan, “Mom, the fight had nothing to do with this. I didn’t think over so much before I acted, because the moment Ling Haiyang called me a bastard, I hit him without hesitation.”

“Tell me the details of your conflict,” Ling Ruonan had now completely calmed down and regained her usual intelligence and composure, “Tell me everything that happened afterward; it’s important to analyze it properly, as this matter is no small thing.”

Luo Ziling nodded and didn’t hold back, explaining how after they separated, he went out to greet the other descendants of the Ling Family, hoping to get acquainted with them. In the end, only Ling Qingqing treated him warmly, Ling Haining and Ling Haijun were superficially polite, and Ling Haiyang started cursing him, which he could not tolerate and so took action against Ling Haiyang, leading to a large-scale fight.

“They thought they could do whatever they wanted to me because they were many. They all called me a bastard, and I couldn’t allow myself or you to be insulted, so I took action. Later, when an adult stepped in and called me a bastard, I still didn’t plan to hold back. I had to fight until they dared not curse me again. I think, next time they see me, they definitely won’t dare to curse like that again. If they do dare, I will still take action to teach them a lesson,” Luo Ziling declared, looking at Ling Ruonan proudly, “I won’t allow anyone to insult you because you are my mom! If I hear someone cursing and insulting you again, I will definitely smash their mouth.”

Luo Ziling’s words nearly brought Ling Ruonan to tears. She quickly turned aside, wiped her eyes with her hand, and then turned back with a forced smile, “Ling’er, we didn’t necessarily have to resolve today’s issues with a fight. It would have been better to have my father and my grandfather deal with it. They would surely have handled it fairly. Fighting provided only temporary satisfaction and spoiled the birthday celebration. No matter what, today celebrates Great Grandfather’s ninetieth birthday. It’s rare for people to reach seventy, and even rarer to celebrate ninetieth birthdays. The next big birthday will be his centenary, and who knows if the old man will live to see it. By fighting today, you not only spoiled the mood but also might have made some people, who originally had a good impression of you, hate you. This includes my father and grandfather, who, although they may not show it, certainly now hold biases in their hearts against you.”

To take Luo Ziling’s feelings into account, Ling Ruonan did not refer to Ling Jinhua and Ling Mingrui as “Great Grandfather” and “Grandfather,” but she still pointed out Luo Ziling’s recklessness on such a joyous occasion. On a day that should have been fully celebratory, it was inappropriate to act in a way that soured the mood for everyone.

Of course, Ling Ruonan’s remarks were also out of concern for Luo Ziling possibly being hurt by those people.

After all, the descendants of the Ling Family were numerous and powerful, and they had bodyguards. If the bodyguards got involved, then Luo Ziling definitely would have been in trouble.

If it hadn’t been for Ling Jinhua’s personal intervention today, no one knows what might have happened.

Ling Ruonan knew that being impulsive was not a good thing, and she hoped Luo Ziling could stay calm in many situations because she wished for her son to achieve greatness rather than be a mere brute.

Her feelings were truly conflicted, more so than ever before.